BRASS HISTORY

I started this site in 2018 due to my growing involvement in researching the history of brass instruments. It used to be an offshoot of my railroad history site but I decided it was too important for that. New information is always being added as I add to my collection and knowledge. Enjoy the trip and I look forward to hearing from you... I have owned hundreds of instruments over the last thirty years, but only a few have remained in my collection. Here they are in 2023. The list can be found in my "Museum" section with an * by each one currently owned... Below are links to my history pages for many brass instrument makers and retailers of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Some are well known while others are very obscure. One interesting thing I learned is that one-third of the US makers here were German immigrants, mainly in the late 19th century. All makers are either European or descended from European immigrants. I welcome any input you have that will add to these history..